AUBURN HILLS, Mich.  The Detroit Pistons went back to their roots, hard-nosed defense, Tuesday night to turn back the Cleveland Cavaliers 97-91 and take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.

After putting on an offensive show by making a franchise playoff-record 15 three-pointers in their Game 1 romp, the Pistons at times played the kind of defense that was reminiscent of the Bad Boys of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"We feel like defense is what wins games," Pistons guard Chauncey Billups said. "We've proven that over a few years. When things get tough, you can't depend on offense and shots going. We depend on their shots not going and not letting them get in their sweet spots."

Detroit did just that in the fourth quarter after Cleveland cut into the Pistons' 21-point lead, forcing the Cavs to miss four consecutive shots and commit a critical turnover to preserve the win.

"The Pistons are a great defensive team," said LeBron James, who led all scorers with 30 points for the Cavs. "It's hard to come back on them because they are so defensive-minded. They want to play defense. They want to shut down their opponents."

James also had 14 rebounds and seven assists.

The Pistons began tightening the screws defensively midway through the first period after the Cavs took a 10-8 lead. Detroit forced a turnover on a five-second violation on an inbounds play after a timeout. A couple of possessions later, the Pistons hounded the Cavs into a shot-clock violation.

"We were trying to get a good jump start," said Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons' leading scorer with 29 points. "Sometimes before big games in the regular season, we started off slow."

The Cavs scored just three field goals the rest of the period.

Down by 21 points, things got so desperate for Cleveland that it resorted to a Bang-A-Ben defense and intentionally fouled Pistons center Ben Wallace, a 41.8% career free throw shooter. Wallace foiled that strategy by making two of four free throws.

"Ben finds a way to make them, or he gets real mad and starts rebounding and defending the basket," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.

James didn't reach double figures until midway through the third quarter, then he led a fourth-quarter rally with jumpers and driving layups through a sea of Pistons.

Cleveland pulled to 87-78 after a 10-2 run before Ben Wallace made a fadeaway shot off his own miss and Rasheed Wallace followed with a three-pointer, forcing the Cavs to call a timeout down by 14 points with 4:31 left.

James wouldn't let the Cavs go away.

His three-point play made it 92-87 with 1:13 left, but Richard Hamilton scored a three-point play on the ensuing possession and both players traded free throws in the final seconds.

"We kept our composure and gave them a run for their money," James told The Associated Press.

Notes: Ben Wallace was presented with the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award — for an unprecedented fourth time in five seasons — by Boston Celtics great Bill Russell before the game. ... Cavs reserve Donyell Marshall was upset that his comments before Game 1 were interpreted as if he was giving up in the series. "Detroit has the knowledge from winning a championship two years ago, and going to the championship last year. I think their knowledge is going to overtake our youth right now," he said Monday. ... James had six points in the first quarter, one in the second, nine in the third and 14 in the final quarter.